Drowned teen in James City had big dreams in golf

The body of Trevor Times, 18, was recovered May 29, 2012, after he went missing… (Courtesy of David Cutler )

May 29, 2012|By Tyra M. Vaughn, tvaughn@dailypress.com | 247-7870

JAMES CITY — Trevor Times might have been Tiger Woods' biggest fan.

Friends of the 18-year-old said he could spout off some of the most obscure facts about the professional golfer and had posters of him plastered all over his bedroom wall. They said he even talked of a bag he owned that was once used by the legendary player.

As a young golfer at Jamestown High School, Times, a senior, mirrored his game after Woods, and it was his golf swing that earned him a scholarship to East Carolina University, where he dreamed of playing this fall.

"He was going to be something big," said Khary Jewell, 18, a senior at Jamestown High School and close friend of Times. "He had the drive and ambition to go after whatever he wanted, but he wasn't ever cocky about it."

Times was set to graduate from the Williamsburg-James City County high school in less than three weeks, but his dreams were cut short Tuesday when divers recovered his body from College Creek in James City County.

Times went missing at about 2:15 p.m. Monday while swimming with friends. James City police said he was trying to swim to a sandbar about 75 yards offshore near Colonial Parkway when friends saw him go under water then not resurface.

A helicopter and the Coast Guard, as well as James City police, fire, and dive personnel, joined the search, which was suspended at 8:15 p.m. Monday because of darkness, said Maj. Steve Rubino of the James City Police Department.

The search resumed after 8 a.m. Tuesday. Divers re-entered the water at 9:50 a.m. after sonar from a Virginia Marine Resource Commission police boat located a possible body. Times was found about 30 minutes later.

Divers discovered Times at 10:20 a.m. in six feet of water about 35 feet from shore, Rubino said. He speculated that the body had shifted location overnight, moved by the tide and current. Times' father, Dr. Terryl Times, identified the body, Rubino said.

Dangerous area

College Creek is a popular area for swimmers, despite numerous signs warning about strong currents and riptides, police said. Monday's drowning is at least the third there in the last 15 years. A 5-year-old girl drowned in 2007, and a student from the College of William and Mary perished in 1997. Rescuers respond to an average of six near-drownings there a year.

Jewell said he, Times and their other friends would hang out at the creek about once a week during the summer. He said they knew the risk, and many of them didn't swim in the creek or stayed close to the shore.

"We all didn't swim to the sandbar," said Jewell, who didn't go to the creek with Times Monday. "Trevor said he was a strong swimmer."

Family, friends, coaches and teammates mourned Times' death Tuesday.

Family friend and spokesman Rick Bell said the family was devastated by the death of their only son.

"He (Trevor) was on the path to success," Bell said.

Times dedicated himself to improving his golf game last summer. He made great strides on the Virginia State Golf Association tour, reaching the semifinals of the VSGA Junior Match Play championships last June. A week later he earned a spot at the U.S. Junior Amateur tournament.

Times tied for third in last fall's Group AA golf tournament, helping the Eagles to a fourth-place finish.

The news of his presumed drowning spread throughout the community though text messaging and social media shortly after he went missing Monday.

Jamestown senior Mariah Sutton said she found out about the incident through Twitter on Monday and headed to the creek to await word on Times, whom she described as one of her best friends. She returned Tuesday with nearly two dozen other people.

"I wouldn't have been able to make it through school today, but I also wanted to support Trevor's family," she said.

Counselors on hand

School counselors were at the creek to help grieving students, but students tended to support each other with hugs and stories. Classmates talked about Times' golf game, but mainly focused on his personality, exemplary academics and his distinct, infectious belly-laugh.

Jamestown senior Tyler Lawrence said Times' laugh will be one of the many things he remembers about him.

"He looked at each round to find the positives and he never let any of his teammates get down on themselves," Meredith said. "If a teammate started a round with a double-bogey, Trevor would say, 'Some of my best rounds started with double-bogeys.'"

Jewell said his last conversation with Times took place Sunday night when he was leaving a gathering at friend's house.

"I told him 'Good night, bro. I love you. Be safe,'" he said. "I'm glad I got a chance to tell him that."